Automatic door or lid lift



Oct, 2, 1934. 1 P005 1,975,701

AUTOMATIC DOOR OR LID LIFT Filed Deo. 26, 1955 Patented Get. 2, 1934 'UNITED STATES PATENT r 1,975,701 aU'roMAiIIC DooR on LID LIFT Joseph Ioos, Eaton, Ohio Application December 26, 19373, Serial No. 763,995

1 Claim. v (Cl. 296-76) The invention relates to an automatic lift and more especially to a door or lid lift.

The primary object of the invention is the provision of a device of this character, wherein the vsame can be arranged within the tonneau of a motor vehicle or a lidded compartment so that the lid thereto will be automatically opened, thereby relieving this task by a person when desiring access thereto and the said lid can be held in raised or open position yet the same can be closed with minimum energy and on complete closing thereof will be held safely in its lowered position.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a device of this character, wherein the construction thereof is novel in form so that the working thereof is assured and the lid or door, when in closed or open position, will be sustained and the automatic opening or lifting of such lid or door will be assured.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a device of this character which is simple in construction, possessing but few parts, these being readily accessible, thoroughly reliable and eicient in its purpose, susceptible of adjustment for increasing or decreasing the tension action of its spring, strong, durable, and inexpensive to manufacture and install.

With these and other objects in View, the invention consists in the features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more fully described in detail, illustrated in the accompanying drawing, which discloses the preferred embodiment of the invention, and pointed out in the claim hereunto apvpended.

In the accompanying drawing:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary vertical longitudinal sectional view taken through a vehicle body embodying the device in accordance with the invention and showing by full lines the lid or door in closed position and by dotted lines in openl or lifted position.

Figure 2 is a detail plan View of the device removed from the vehicle body.

Figure 3 is an enlarged transverse sectional view on the line 3 3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 2, showing a slight modification.

Similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views in the drawing.

Referring to the drawing in detail, 10 designates generally a portion of a vehicle body of the passenger type and 11 the tonneau thereof having V,the vertically swinging lid or door 12 of conventional form, the latter being connected for vertical movement by a hinge 13.

The device constituting the present invention comprises a frame 14, the base rail 15 of which is made fast to the flooring of the body 10 and the forward inclined member 16 of this frame 14 abuts the panel 17 within the body 10 beneath the seat 18. Pivoted to the frame 14 is a swinging lever 19 which is constituted by spread-apart side arms 20 with which engages the pivot 21 which is passed through the frame 14. Theiside arms 20 of the lever 19, at the rearmost ends, are brought together and support the journal 22 of a pair of rollers 23, these beingdisposed on opposite sides of the lever, while the side arms 20, at the fore end of the lever 19, are joined by a cross web 24, the pivot 21 being somewhat close to the web end 24 of said lever.

Connected with the lever 19 between the side arms 20 thereof, close to the brought together rear ends of said arms, is a coiled retractile spring 25, the same being extended over the pivot 21 and through a slot 26 provided in the frame 14, and at its opposite end is a connector 27 selectively engageable with spaced holes 28 formed in the member 16 of the frame, so that the tensioning action of the spring 25 can be varied. This spring 25 overlies the web 24 at the fore end of the lever 19 and when the said lever 19 has its rearmost end lifted above the pivot 21 the kspring will tension the lever to further rock the same upwardly for a purpose presently described.

Carried by the lid or door 12, at the inner side thereof, is a track 27', upon which travel the rollers 23, while fixed to this track 27 is a stirrup 28, the same being located thereon to have the rollers 23 engage therein when the lid or door 12 is in its lowermost or closed position and when opening to raise or lift the rear end of the levers above the pivotal point 21 so that the spring then becomes active to carry either lever upwardly.

In Figure 4 of the drawing there is shown a slight modification of the invention wherein the lever 29 carries a cross pin 30 to which are connected coiled retractile springs 31, these being arranged on opposite sides of the lever 29 and also engaged with a cross pin 32 adjustably mounted in the member 16 of the frame 14, as will be apparent. In this modified form there is employed the double springs in lieu of the single spring in the preferred form of construction.

It will be apparent that when the lid or door 12 is initially manually raised a determined distance so that the rear end of the lever is slightly above the pivot 21 for the same, the springs 25 or 31 will become active for the upward swinging of the lever and in this the said lid or door 172 Will be automatically lifted and held in such raised or elevated position for the opening of the tonneau. Y

When the door or lid 12 has been pulled downwardly and broughteto full closed position the stirrup 28 will lift the rear end of levers 19 and 29 above thepivotal point 21 when opening said door or lid, as should be clearly obvious. i

It is preferable to have the coiled retractile springs 25 and 31 provided with chain lengths 33,

these beingfadjustable as to length to vary the tension of the said springs at the will of the user of the device. Y A l What is YVclainiedfis: A device: of the kind described comprising a frame having upwardly directed portions for tting within a vehicle body tonneau having a vertically swinging door, a track on said doorl and inclined rearwardly of said tonneau, a lever pivoted near one enel thereof to one upstanding portion of said frame, a pair of rollers carried by the'lever at the extreme end thereof on the longer side of the same with respect to its pivotal sup- Y Aof movement offthe lever to sustain the door opened or closed.

JOSEPH POOS. 

